Inking mechanism



Dec. 4, 1934.,

C. J. RICHTER INKING MECHANISM Filed March 31, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l zzI/// V 25 INVENTOR ATTORNEa Filed March 31, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATTORNE Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEPrinting Press Illinois Company,

a corporation of Application March 31, 1932, Serial No. 602,139

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to a novel and improved inking mechanismand more particularly to such a mechanism for use with newspaperprinting presses.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forthin parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein l5 and constituting a parthereof, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with thedescription, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

0f the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section, through an illustrativeembodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View looking from the line 2'2 of Fig. 1,with certain parts omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, detailed view with certain parts broken away,illustrating a modifled embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, composite view with certain parts being shownin section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and other parts being shown inplan.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel andimproved inking mechanism particularly adapted for use with newspaperprinting presses. Another object is the provision of an inking mechanismin which the 40 several page widths of the ductor roller can beindividually moved toward and away from the ink fountain roller and inkdrum to individually vary the pressure of contact between the rollersand drum, as well as to permit the use of rollers of slightly differentdiameters. A further object is the provision of an improved means forsilencing one or more page widths of the inking mechanism when only aportion of the full number of pages is to be printed.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, the inkfountain is of conventional construction and includes a rotatablymounted fountain roller 10, dipping into the ink contained in ink trough11,

together with suitable means (not shown) for regulating and minutelycontrolling the amount of ink remaining on the surface of the fountainroller as it rotates. An ink drum 12, also of conventional construction,is rotatably mounted 0 parallel to the fountain roller and spacedtherefrom, and has ink transferred to it from the fountain roller by theductor mechanism about to be described. The ink drum, as is usual,cooperates with other rollers which distribute the ink and transfer itfrom roller to roller, finally depositing the ink in a thin film on thesurface of the printing member.

The ductor mechanism forming part of the present invention comprises ashaft 14, extending from one side of the printing press and ink fountainto the other and oscillatably journalled in the usual side frames of thepress. Keyed to shaft 14, and held against axial movement thereon bymeans of set screws 15, are pairs of radially extending arms 16. Themembers of each pair are spaced from each other a distance equal to thewidth of the pages to be printed by the press, and the arms arepreferably positioned in substantial radial alinement with the portionsof the inking mechanism corresponding to the margins of the pages to beprinted.

For transferring ink from the fountain roller to the ink drum, aplurality ofrollers 17 of substantially uniform size are mounted in thearms 16, each roller being of a length approximately equal to the widthof the printed portion of the pages. These rollers are preferablyindividually journalled and are movable into and out of axial alinementwith each other and maybe contacted alternately with the fountain rollerand ink drum.

For rotatably journalling the transfer rollers or sections, each section1'7 is provided at its ends with a short stub-shaft 18 of reduceddiameter which is projected into a ball bearing 19 seated in block 20.The adjacent ends of the several roller sections are positioned closetogether and the roller sections are held against axial movement bymeans of suitable shoulders formed on the shaft 18 and block 20, inengagement with the inner and outer races of the bearing,respectivelylMeans are provided for bodily moving the various roller sections intoand out of contact alternately with the fountain roller 10 and the inkdrum 12, to transfer ink from the ink fountain to the inking train, andfor this purpose oscillating mechanism is driven by the press andconnected with the roller supporting arms 16. This mechanism may be ofany desired construction, but as embodied, comprises a press driven,oscillating shaft 22 to which is keyed a slotted arm 23, which isconnected with a short arm 24 keyed to shaft 14, by means of link 25.Link 25 is pivotally connected with arm 24, and is plvotally connectedwith the slotted arm 23 by means of the variably positionable pivot pin26. Pin 26 is normally positioned to give sufficient throw to rollersupporting arms to press the several roller sections 17 into firmcontact with the fountain roller 10 and then the ink drum 12.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided forindividually variably positioning the several roller sections to movethem out of operative relation with the fountain roller and ink drum andthereby silence the corresponding page width of the inking mechanismwhen no printing plates are to be inked thereby. For this purpose,blocks 20, which support the and bearings for the individual rollersections, are formed with projecting tongues 28 on their opposite upperand lower sides to cooperate with corresponding grooves 29 formed in theforked ends 30 of the arms 16, thereby permitting the blocks and rollersections to be moved in and out radially of the arm supporting shaft 14.An end plate 31 is provided at the end of each of the forked arms and issecured to the outer extremities of the forks by means of screws 32,while it carries a rotatable threaded member 33 midway between theforks. Threaded member 33 is held against axial movement in the arms bymeans of collar 34, and its inner end is threaded into a threaded socket35 formed in the outer face of the bearing block 20. By turning thesquared heads 36 on the threaded members at both ends of any rollersection that section may be moved outwardly of the arms (into the:position shown by dotted lines, Figure 1) placing it out of operativerelationship with respect to both the fountain roller and ink drum. h

After inking rollers have become worn, it is customary to remove aportion of the outer, resilient surface of the roller to render thesurface true and of uniform diameter, and this operation reduces thediameter of the inking roller. In the ordinary operation of presses, aconsiderable supply of rollers accumulates, and by reason of the truingoperation, their size is not uniform. Heretofore, it was generallynecessary to carefully select the rollers so that they would be ofsubstantially the same diameter, but with the present invention, a widevariation in roller diameter does not interfere with the satisfactoryoperation of the inking mechanism, inasmuch as the individual rollersections may be moved in and out to insure the same degree of pressurebetween them and the fountain roller and ink drum regardless of thediameter of the roller sections.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modified embodiment of the presentinvention, which is particularly adapted for use with roller sections ofsubstantially uniform diameter and facilitates the silencing of any ofthe page widths. In this embodiment, the bearings for the individualroller sections are mounted in eccentric sleeves which may be rotated toposition the inking roller sections either for contact or to maintainthem out of contact with the fountain roller and ink drum.

Only two oscillating, roller supporting arms 16' need be employed, oneat either end of the ink fountain, connected together by means of arelatively stiff shaft 40, which extends from one side of the fountainto the other, being rigidly supported in the ends of the arms. On thisshaft are mounted the several transfer roller sections 1'7, each of pagewidth and these sections are individually rotatably journaled on theshaft 40. At either end of each section is provided an eccentric sleeve41 closely fitted to the shaft but rotatable thereon. The eccentricsleeves for each particular section are interconnected and held againstangular displacement by means of a long sleeve 42, surrounding the shaft40 and fastened to the sleeves at their ends. Sleeves 41 are providedwith a portion of reduced diameter on which is mounted a ball bearingassembly 43, having its inner race abutting against a shoulder 44 andits outer race fitted within the roller core and abutting againstshoulder 45.

For facilitating the rotation of eccentric sleeves 41 to, move theroller sections into and out of operative relationship, small upstandinglugs 46 may be provided on the eccentric at the end of the rollersection, and these lugs support a pin 4'7 extending between them andproviding a grip for a tool by which the pin may be engaged to turn thesleeve. Means are also provided for retaining the eccentric sleeves ineither of their positions, and for this purpose the shaft 40 is formedwith a pair of shallow depressions 48, within each of the eccentricsleeves, the depressions being substantially diametrically opposed andcircumferentially alined. Each sleeve 41 is provided with a radiallyextending bore into which is placed a ball 49, pressed against and intoone of the depressions by means of spring 50 which is retained withinthe hole by means of screw plug v51.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What I claim is 1. An inking mechanism including in combination aplurality of sectional transfer rollers to be contacted with a fountainroller and an ink drum to transfer ink from one to the other, all ofsaid rollers being arranged end to end and means at one side of themechanism for moving said rollers individually toward and away from thefountain roller and drum whereby different sizes of rollers may bemounted for simultaneous contact with the fountain roller or ink drum.

2. An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality of sectionaltransfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller and an ink drumto transfer ink from one to the other, all of said rollers beingarranged with their ends closely adjacent to each other and means formoving sztild rollers into and out of alinement with each 0 er.

3. An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality of sectionaltransfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller and an ink drumto transfer ink from one to the other, all of said rollers beingarranged with their ends in close adjacency and means for bodilyoscillating said rollers into alternate contact with said fountainroller and drum.

4. An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality of sectionaltransfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller and an ink drumto transfer ink from one to the other, all of said rollers beingarranged end to end, means for bodily oscillating said rollers intoalternate an ink drum to transfer ink from one to the other,

guides in which the ends of said rollers are individually movable intoand out'of axial alinement with each other and rotatably mounted andmeans for individually variably positioning the several sections wherebythe several sections of the mechanism may be individually silenced.

6. An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality of sectionaltransfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller and an ink drumto transfer ink from one to the other, and

guides in which the ends of said rollers are individually movable, saidguides being positioned ably positionable and means for moving theguides to contact the roller sections alternately with the fountainroller and ink drum.

8. An inking mechanism including in combination aplurality of sectionaltransfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller and an ink drumto transfer ink from one to the other. a

shaft supported adjacent to said fountain roller and drum and on whichthe sections are rotatably mounted and means for individually moving theroller sections on said shaft toward and away from the fountain rollerand drum. 1 9. An inking mechanism including in combination a pluralityof sectional transfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller andan ink drum to transfer ink from one to the other, a shaft supportedadjacent to said fountain roller and drum and on which the sections arerotatably mounted, eccentrics supporting the roller sections on saidshaft and individually rotatable to move individual sections out ofalinement with the remaining section.

10. 'An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality ofsectional transfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller andink drum,

a shaft adjacent to said fountain roller and drum and surrounded by saidsections, eccentrics on said shaft at the ends of each section, and onwhich the sections are rotatably mounted and means for rotating theeccentrics for each section and retaining the eccentrics in differentposition.

11. An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality ofsectional transfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller andink drum, a shaft adjacent to said fountain roller and drum andsurrounded by said sections, eccentrics on said shaft .at-the ends ofeach section and on which the sections are rotatably mounted andoscillatable arms on which said shaft is mounted.

12. An inking mechanism including in combination a plurality ofsectional transfer rollers to be contacted with a fountain roller andinkdrum, a shaft adjacent to said fountain roller and drum and surroundedby said sections, eccentrics on said shaft at the ends of each sectionand on which the sections are rotatably mounted, oscillatable arms onwhich said shaft is mounted and means interconnecting the eccentrics foreach section to cause them to move in unison as one is moved.

' CHAS. J. RICHTER.

